Your Life in a Box

Growing up in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania I knew that “foreigners” were from New Jersey,  “illegal immigration” was referring to New Yorkers buying lots in Penn Estates, and that “Ethnic Diversity” meant you were dating someone from the next high school over. I had a varsity letter in riflery, a pickup truck and life seemed good.  Still have a truck, but I have grown a bit and now I live outside Philly in a very ethnically diverse community.  It has been a great experience.  Turns out that people from all over want basically the same things in life, someplace to live, something to eat, happy kids, and a good laugh.  We have had some amazing meals, and have enjoyed watching our kids and theirs play as if they all spoke the same language. 

What never fails to amaze me, is how brave these people are.  The stories about emigrating to this country are told matter-of-factly without flair, but to me they drip with  risk and bravado.  I know folks who left in the dead of night, some who applied for visa on a whim, others who were transferred because of work.  But in each case the story is great, and the message the same.  We left what we had, got off the plane, and made it work. Could you do it? Could you pack your life into a box jump on a plane and start over?  What would you take, what items would be so cherished to fit in the box? 

Growing up in the Poconos in the 80’s  I saw “Red Dawn” about 4 million times on TV.  Remember “Wolverines!”?  To this day, if the Russian and Cubans ever parachute into my backyard I’m sure I could pack up the truck with everything I needed to move into the woods and wage a gorilla war, in 10 minutes….well now that I have kids and a wife maybe 2 hours, but the point is, its easy….boots, knife, shelter, guns, stove, food. 

Since it is unlikely in this economy that anyone will want to invade us, I don’t have to worry about escaping into the mountains with Patrick Swayze and Susan Grey.  Suppose however you are leaving the country for good, liquidating your possessions down to a steamer truck. Problem is you have time to think about it. The wolverines didn’t have time to think, grab and go has a certain advantage.  Now that you are thinking about it, what would go in the box?

No the kids don’t go in the box….they get their own.  How will they pack it?  Give a kid a suitcase and tell them to pack for a trip.  Kids don’t pack smart, they pack the stuffed animal that has the drool baked in, and an assortment of almost random toys, they pack what means the most to them now… not what they might need in the future and unless its that favorite “lovey” they don’t pack sentimental items.  Clothing for children is an annoying afterthought, food comes from mom, but toys and “treasures” are an immediate and critical need.

I still don’t know what I would pack.  Clothing, you can get there, except maybe a  pair of size 14 Gore-Tex boots.  Food?  If people live there, they got food.  Guns?  They likely have those too. Technology comes in handy.  (yeah, I’m the one guy from the Poconos who will place a laptop over the gun if I had to make a choice.)  Treasures? I have a couple of rocks that are special, a photo album or two, my favorite tequila glass, my sons first baby food jar…Oh and a good fishing rod, but really the rest of the stuff I keep is just detritus of the last couple decades.

I’m not asking you what is important to you, but what is important enough to go in the box, just the tangibles; family, friends don’t count here, ya can’t box love…be purely materialistic.   People are always reminding you not to be materialistic, blah, blah, blah…That’s easy, try being materialistic, it isn’t so simple.  Take that moral do gooders!